Amazon Cloud Drive

You might think Amazon Cloud Drive is nothing new and in one aspect, you’re right. However, if you live in Italy, Spain, UK, Germany or France, Cloud Drive is a bit more new to you than for U.S. customers. In addition to that, Cloud Drive is also available as an app for the Windows and Mac desktops (so you don’t have to use the workaround anymore). The app is also available for the Android platform, which now has an auto-save feature.

Amazon Unbox is actually a tool I discovered by talking to an Amazon rep. I couldn’t figure out how to watch purchased videos via Amazon’s Video On Demand on my PC instead of streaming it. If you are wondering the same thing, 1) you likely missed Ryan’s article about three useful things you can do with Video On Demand – like I did, and 2) you now have a solution.

Note that Unbox doesn’t work with Linux or Mac and the videos can’t be downloaded or transferred to portable devices, such as iPods.

If you are currently a student in college, you will appreciate Amazon Student. I personally have already used it up, and sadly I didn’t take advantage of it as much as I could have. But it is an awesome opportunity for students to get some great deals.

So what happens after your 6-month trial is up? You can continue to get the same awesome benefits for 50% off the original cost of Amazon Prime. So instead of paying $79/year, you only pay $39/year – not a bad deal! Note that to prove you are a student, you must have a valid .EDU email address.

Amazon Mom is a similar program for parents – that’s right, not just moms, but anyone caring for a child. However, it’s not as good of a deal as the Amazon Students membership.

During the free 3-month trial period, you don’t get Unlimited instant streaming nor are you eligible to borrow a Kindle book each month for free.

However, if you upgrade and pay the $79/year you, of course, are able to get those benefits as well as many others such as continuing the 20% off diapers. Free two-day shipping, unlimited instant streaming and Kindle book borrowing are also included.

Again, don’t be fooled by the name. Amazon explains that you can be a mom, dad, grandparent or caretaker. “[They] just thought ‘Amazon Primary Caretaker’ didn’t have the same ring to it.” However, I must say that perhaps they could have chosen it to be “Amazon Parent” instead – but that’s just my take on things.

Amazon Deals is accessible from the main page, but it might not be your first choice to look at. By clicking “Today’s Deals” you can see what deals are being offered. There is one item which is the “Deal of the Day” and then there are others which are only available at a certain price for a short amount of time, then Amazon moves on to the next. Also, you have no idea what the next one is, so it keeps you coming back to check it.

Customer Service – Just Ask (But Don’t Abuse)

Amazon’s customer service is superb – enough said. Even the times where I didn’t have a good experience, once I told them about my poor experience, they made it right.

Oh wait… those are both the same aren’t they? The first one is about the initial problem. Most people just blow it off. Thus, they are still frustrated, but don’t do anything about it – stupid. Next, if they do do something about it, but have a poor customer experience, then they say “see! It doesn’t matter – they don’t care”. So the second point is talking about them not “complaining” to the company about the poor customer service.

Both are important to do! If you have a problem, whether with the service/product or with the company itself, how are they supposed to know if you don’t tell them? Exactly – so take advantage of Amazon’s awesome customer service and ask – they will probably make it right. Of course, like the title says, don’t abuse this. By that I mean, don’t lie or make things up to get free stuff – that’s not cool.

Extra Tip: Follow On Social Media For More Deals

Amazon has a bunch of different social media accounts for all their different niches like Amazon Student, Amazon MP3, etc. Whatever areas you’re interested in, follow those accounts on Twitter and/or Facebook and you will get notified about daily deals, specials and promotions.

Conclusion

Amazon certainly isn’t the only place to shop online, but it is a great place to start – especially when searching for reviews. And overall, the prices are quite competitive.

Do you religiously shop at Amazon? If so, what are some secrets that you’ve uncovered?

Anonymous

Anonymous

February 8, 2013

Good information about Amazon.com. I just have to say every purchase I’ve made online was at least 75% through Amazon. It’s prompt and I got what I paid for. When things are needed go to Amazon.com first (if possible); you might be pleasantly surprised. I especially like the Cloud Player. When my old computer died; I LOST ALL MY MUSIC (I did not backup that folder-being a dummy). Computer-less for months (3 actually) I bought a new computer (through Amazon-WHERE ELSE); surfed on over to Amazon and found all my purchased music intact in the cloud.

Aaron Couch

February 8, 2013

Thanks for sharing your experience! I bought the computer I use now through Amazon (after some intense researching, of course) and never regretted it. I’m actually due for a new one here soon, which I’ll probably also buy through Amazon.